Created by the students of Salford University’s Image Making & Styling BA course, with a little help from the likes of Marine Serre and Matty Bovan
British Fashion is often guilty of failing to look beyond the limits of Greater London when it comes to the young talent it champions. Centring its capricious gaze over the designers emerging from institutions like Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art time and time again, students that find themselves enrolled in universities located above the Watford Gap are left out in the cold.
Looking to change that are the students of Salford Uni’s Fashion Image Making & Styling BA Hons course, which recently launched photo zine FIMS (no prizes for guessing what that stands for). Demonstrating the work of the wildly talented students currently studying at the Manchester-based school, there’s also an impressive list of contributors, including designers Marine Serre and Matty Bovan, photographers Heather Glazzard, Vinca Petersen, and Bryony Walsh, and many more.
Take a quick flick – either by way of the digitised version of the zine or its physical manifestation – and you’ll find a series of editorials that explore identity and self, body image, sustainability, class, and family ties, with each one as inventive and imaginative as the last. Here, we meet a few of the students behind the lens to hear more about contributing to FIMS, the inspiration behind their images, and what’s next for them when they graduate.
LIA LOWRY
“I really wanted to steer clear of conventional model types and instead use real women for my series. Across the course of six shoots I captured six amazing women, showcasing their individual beauty and bonds with each other, and breaking down diversity barriers, especially when it came to age. When it came to the brands, there’s a lot of Aries, Ashley Williams, Fiorucci, Gucci, Napapijri, and bootleg Balenciaga on the line-up, as well as some charity shop finds and a few leopard gems from (model) Susan’s exploding walk-in wardrobe of purely leopard prints.
I’m simultaneously hugely inspired by both the old and the new and how we can fuse these together to create magic. I’m obsessed with the stories we can pass down through generations, and with breaking down the age gaps within society through casting, styling, and location. I’m always striving to tell a story. Next up for me is setting up a magazine with fellow FIMS contributor Lucy Martin. Watch this space!”
SIM TAKHAR
“My shoot was inspired by my father, and understanding and exploring the life he has lived: from the celebrations right through to the harder times that made him who he is today. Over the course of the past three years he’s been a significant inspiration in my work and thought process without me even realising, but when it came to how I wanted my final portfolio and the FIMS shoot to look I had no idea – I guess I just went with it as the project went by.
A lot of the clothing I chose was based on what my father had worn, looking through old photos and visiting my grandma’s house to create the vision of who he used to be. Throughout uni, it was really important to me not to buy any new clothing, to work with what I’ve got, or to thrift or make things myself. I’m aiming to inspire others to do the same and become more environmentally aware. It’s more fun too.
The lecturers who created FIMS took a hell of a lot of time and effort to make sure it was perfect, with every image intended to make its audience feel something – I feel so ridiculously honoured to have been published in the magazine. Being a part of this industry is so amazing in the way that my voice can be heard through the work I do: I have the power to inspire people to think differently or to open up their minds with questions and new thoughts. Alongside all the shit going on in the world, I fully believe in extracting the positive as much as you can, everyday. One of the many teachings passed down by my father.”
APOLLUS (AKA CAMERON)
“My work is often a self reflection, with this shoot specifically about my identity and how I am a product of the people around me. The images of the model in the swimming baths with the motorcycle relate to my cousin. He suffered through a traumatic period of life in his younger years and from the outside seemed like he was drowning, never allowing himself to come up for breath.
This was about him finally rising from the water and taking a breath for the first time. He’s now a teacher working with disadvantaged children, and he rides a motorcycle which went into the styling of this shoot. In fact, to keep it organic, most of the clothes were sourced directly from him: the biker jackets, the bike helmets, which I paired up with a few other contemporary brands and formalwear that relates back to him becoming a teacher.
Inspiration comes from all around me: where I originate from, and how I was raised. In terms of the people who inspire me, within the industry it’s always been Ib Kamara. He allowed me to become more imaginative and has always been someone I look towards as a creator of colour. At the moment, I’m continuing to host my own art and music events under my brand Notahoodlum, which is a project that originated while I was at university. Otherwise, I’d love to work with the likes of Daily Paper, Bianca Saunders, Wales Bonner, or Virgil at Louis Vuitton would be a dream.